I swear, I’m not one of those people who gush about how much they love exercise. (God love those folks, I’m just not one.)

But I am a believer in the endorphin rush and the idea that a good workout can, in fact, give you more energy than it takes. Unfortunately, I only fully buy into that concept after the good workout.

In the minutes prior to the workout, my inner-coach potato goes into full swing.

“It’s the Monday after Daylight Saving Time begins, and I’m exhausted.”

“My kid was sick all weekend, and I need to rest.”

“It’s windy and pouring and cold and I don’t want to walk across campus to the gym.”

That’s the great thing about participating in Boxer Boot Camp this spring. I have a standing appointment with my trainer/exercise science major every Monday afternoon, plus I report into him my progress in trying to work out at least three times a week. (Last week was a complete success!) Plus, by agreeing to blog about my experience, I’m responsible to even more people.

So, come my lunch break yesterday, I got off my butt, walked through the inevitable March storm and hit the gym. And you know what? At the end of my hour, I didn’t want to stop. I was sure I could get in a few more minutes on the elliptical, or a few more reps with the weights, and, hey, did my abs really get a sufficient workout? Because I am feeling good!

So, hurray for motivation and goals, for someone to hold me responsible, or for taking the first step to get started. Now, I just have to hold on to the memory of the opiate-mimicking endorphin rush to get me out the door tomorrow: It’s totally worth it.

Read the next story in the Boxer Bootcamp series, "Pacific has been a great chapter."

Read the previous story in the Boxer Bootcamp series, "Giving 'baby weight' the boot(camp)."